2013 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, IT COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO EARNHARDT KIA (2121 E BELL RD, PHOENIX, AZ 85022, 602-346-5400) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS ELECTRICAL FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE SPECIFICS WERE UNKNOWN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 73,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED AND "CHECK HYBRID BATTERY AND DO NOT RUN" WAS DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ROMEO KIA OF KINGSTON (111 SCHENK DR, KINGSTON, NY), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.

HYBRID WARNING LIGHT SUDDENLY CAME ON INDICATING THAT I SHOULD PULL OVER WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I IMMEDIATELY VEERED TO MY LEFT TO GET TO THE SHOULDER, AS THE CAR HAD ALREADY DIED, AND I WAS MOVING ONLY ON MOMENTUM. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY A CAR BEHIND ME. I WAITED A WHILE, AND THE CAR RESTARTED. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WENT AWAY LATER THAT DAY. THIS WAS A SATURDAY, AND I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ON MONDAY. THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST OCCURRENCE. THE FIRST TIME I EXPERIENCED THE SAME SCENARIO AND ALSO ALMOST GOT HIT BY A CAR AS I WAS TRYING TO GET TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. MY CAR DID NOT START IN THAT INCIDENT, AND I HAD TO GET IT TOWED. THE SECOND TIME WAS AGAIN THE SAME SCENARIO, AND IT DID RESTART. EACH TIME I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. EACH TIME THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE THE PROBLEM, AND THEY MADE ANCILLARY UPDATES, WHICH DIDN'T HELP. THE THIRD TIME IT HAPPENED, I WAS ADAMANT THAT THEY FIX IT BECAUSE THEY WERE AT RISK OF SERIOUS LIABILITY BECAUSE I WAS BEING PLACED IN EXTREME DANGER. FURTHER, IT BROUGHT ABOUT MUCH ANXIETY KNOWING THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN WITHOUT WARNING AT ANY TIME WHILE DRIVING. MY CAR IS STILL WITHIN THE 100K WARRANTY. THE FIRST TIME, THEY REFUSED TO ADDRESS IT UNDER WARRANTY, AND THEY ARGUED WITH ME ABOUT IT ONLY TO CONCEDE LATER THAT, IN FACT, IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.

ELECTRICAL INTERIOR LIGHT TURN ON WHEN YOU LEAN ON THE ARM REST ALSO GOT A OIL CHANGE AND THE OIL LIGHT WILL NOT RESET CAUSE THERE IS A MALFUNCTION IN THE OIL PRESSURE

2013 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID AIRBAG LIGHT CONSTANTLY ON INDICATED PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. DIAGNOSIS IS AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT FAILURE. WE HAD THE DEALER REPLACE THE AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN A CRASH. I NOTICED THERE ARE RECALLS FOR 2011 - 2012 OPTIMA HYBRID AND 2011 - 2013 OPTIMA VEHICLES, AMONG MANY OTHERS BY HYUNDAI AND KIA. 2013 OPTIMA HYBRID MAY ALSO BE AFFECTED.

THE VEHICLE HAS HAD A HYBRID SAFETY WARNING LIGHTING UP. IT GOES ON AND THEN THE VEHICLE POWERS DOWN TO 25 MPH. THIS HAPPENS AT RANDOM WHEN DRIVING SPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER.

VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 65 MPH WHEN A HCS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY. I HAD TO GET THE CAR TOWED. THE KIA DEALER SAID THE SAFETY FUSE OF 125 HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH A 150 SAFETY FUSE AS WELL AS THE NEW BATTERY, $897 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. WHEN I ASKED KIA WHY THEY DIDN'T RECALL THE 125 SAFETY FUSE, THEY SAID IT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE!

I WAS AT A STOP AND WHEN THEIGHT TURNED GREEN I LET OFF MY BRAKE PEDAL AND LIGHTLY PUT PRESSURE ON MY GAS PEDAL WHEN THE CAR QUICKLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AND I HAD TO APPLY MY BRAKES AS TO NOT HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE A FEW OTHER TIMES BUT ALWAYS ON THE HIGHWAY AND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ON CRUISE CONTROL. IT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN DUPLICATE FOR A SHOP TO SEE AS IT'S COMPLETELY RANDOM WHEN IT HAPPENS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 3 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND "HYBRID FAILURE" APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO KIA STORE EAST (7301 NEW LA GRANGE ROAD, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY 40222, (502) 425-1234) WHERE THE RELAY AND ECU BATTERY WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, A FAULTY FUSE BLEW OUT WITHIN THE HYBRID MOTOR. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED THE RELAY WITH AN INCREASED VOLTAGE FROM 125 AMPS [WATTS] TO 150 AMPS [WATTS]. THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 102,000.

TODAY MY CAR CUT OFF AS I WAS DRIVING. THE DISPLAY READ HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING. IT THEN PROCEEDED TO SAY FOR ME TO PULL OVER AND STOP DRIVING THIS HAPPENED TO ME 3 TIMES OVER THE WEEKEND AND I'VE READ MANY OTHER COMPLAINT ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM I ALSO REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND THAT WAS A WASTE BECAUSE RIGHT AFTER THAT WAS SERVICED IT HAPPENED AGAIN